title: Retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cytoskeleton in vivo and in vitro.
abstract: The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) constitutes a monolayer of cuboidal cells that interact apically with the interphotoreceptor matrix (IPM) and outer segments of the photoreceptor cells and basally with the subjacent Bruch's membrane. This highly polarized structure is maintained by the cytoskeleton of individual cells and their interactions at the basolateral junctional complexes that stabilize this epithelial structure. This RPE complex network of filaments, tubules and associated proteins is modeled by the cellular environment, the RPE intercellular interactions, and by its interactions with the extracellular matrix. This is a review of the key features of the RPE cytoskeleton in vivo and in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmic Research, The Cole Eye Institute, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, 9500 Euclid Avenue i31, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. Electronic address: bonilhav@ccf.org.
authors.forename: Vera L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Bonilha
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D016764:Cell Polarity / Q000502:physiology; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000502:physiology; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006801:Humans; D008868:Microtubule Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D008868:Microtubule Proteins
keywords: cytoskeleton; polarity; retinal pigment epithelium